As the parents of two small people and one large dog we're no strangers to mess!  Luckily we have someone on hand who can help us when it comes to cleaning up!  

The Little Cornish Cleaning Company are FANTASTIC at restoring dirty sofas, carpets and curtains to their former (unstained) glory after an encounter with the dirt monster so we asked them for their top tips for keeping carpets cleaner for longer!

We thought we'd share the knowledge with you! :)

The Little Cornish Cleaning Company's Top Tips for Keeping Your Carpets Cleaner for Longer are:

Frequent and thorough vacuuming.  70% of dirt in your carpets can be hoovered up, if done properly.

If you spill something on, or mark your carpet or upholstery in some way,

ACT FAST!  99% of all stains can be removed by a single cleaning solution or another if they are cleaned within the first couple of days.  The longer a stain can chemically react with carpet or upholstery the harder it is to remove.

Blood

Dry or wet, you can remove blood with Hydrogen Peroxide. Pour a little on to the stain and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Rinse, repeat, and it should be gone. Incidentally, this will not remove forensic evidence of blood, just the stain.

Pen Ink

Spray hairspray on to the stain (use a lot) and let it dry. Wash as normal. Another tip for removing ink is to soak the stained article in milk overnight then wash.

Red Wine

If the spill is small, pour white wine on to a cloth and dab the red wine – it works like magic. If the stain is larger, pour salt on it. Both of these tips only work if the wine is wet.

Nicotine

Lemon juice should remove nicotine stains. If the stains are on your fingers, use lemon juice and pumice stone.

Melted Wax

Lay brown paper over the garment and iron – moving the paper often. The paper will absorb the wax.

Rust

Rub with lemon juice and salt and leave in the sun. Then wash as usual.

Grease

To remove grease, dab the stain with eucalyptus oil then put through a hot wash.  You may need to repeat the process. Another useful tip is to rub butter in to your hands if they are stained with grease. Then rinse with soapy water.

Black marks on the floor

Sometimes you get black marks on the floor from the soles of shoes. A great way to remove these is to pour a little lighter fluid on to a cloth and wipe.

Crayon on Walls

Use baking soda on a damp cloth to rub crayon stains off smooth surfaces. A more risky way is to use white spirit.

Grass

Grass stains can be removed by wiping the article over with methylated spirits. Repeat until the stain is gone and wash.

If it's gone a little too far and you're in need of some professional help - don't despair - The Little Cornish Cleaning Company have an offer that will make you smile!  You could get the carpet in one room cleaned for free with their exclusive offer!